Trolling-spoon.



No. 813,718. PATENTED FEB. 27, 1906.

S. E. KNOWLES. TROLLING SPOON.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 26, 1904.

SAMUEL E. KNOWLES, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

TROLLlNG-SPOON.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 27, 1906.

Application filed August 26, 1904- Serial No. 222,244.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL E. KNOWLES, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of San Francisco and, St ate of (.alifornia, have invented new and useful Improvements in 'lrolling-Spoons, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object the production of an improved spoon-bait or trolling-spoon for fishing in which the hook is secured to and rigidly held on the spoon in the most effective position for catching and holding in the mouth of the fish when the spoon is taken, and at the same time the hook is readily detached by the efforts made by the fish to reject the spoon or by the strain thrown upon the line at the moment of striking the fish.

T 0 such end and object the present invention consists chiefly in a novel construction of spoon having means for detachably fastening a hook in a rigid position thereon and means for loosely but permanently attaching the hook to the line, all as hereinafter more fully described and set forth.

The following description explains the manner in which I proceed to construct and apply the said invention in carrying out the same and securing the desired end and object, the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification. being referred to therein.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a front view of a spoon-bait embodying my invention, showing the hook rigidly but detachably fastened in position on the spoon and also perma nently connected to the line by being attached to the lower end of the spoon. Fig. 2 represents the same parts after the hook has been detached from the spoon. Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken longitudinally through Fig. 1 on the line as m. Fig. 4 is a ont view of a spoon on which the hook is permanently but loosely attached to the spoon by a stiff wire loop and a traveler instead of by the ordinary snell or cord. Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate another mode of attaching the hook to the s oon. Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken longltudinally through the spoon, Fig. 5, showing the hook fixed in position in the bowl or concave face by the means represented in Figs. 5 and 6. Fig. 8 is a side view of the same spoon with the hook fixed in position on the back or convex face. Fig. 9 is a view taken from the right side of the spoon shown in I lg. 8 with the hook omitted.

In this improvement the hook is temporarily fixed to the spoon with the barb standing in a plane at right angles, or substantiall so, to the face of the spoon. The hook is afs with or to the line, so as to be attached thereto after it is detached or dislodged from its rigid osition on the spoon. The hook is held rigidly on the spoon by several clips or projections standing out from the front face or concave side of the spoon, as seen in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 5, when the hook is to occupy a position on that side of the spoon, or in an other way the clips are located on the back face or convex side, as seen in Figs. 8 and 9, when the hook is fixed on the back of the spoon.

In the construction illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 the clips (1 b are located in the bowl on opposite sides of the longitudinal center line and at pro er distance a art to grip and hold the eye or 00p 2 on the s fiank when that part is inserted between the clips, and at intervals apart below the clips I rovide projections a b on opposite sides of t e same center line in such position that the will set against the shank of the hook, an thus prevent it from moving laterally when the hook is set in position. As the eye 2 stands at right angles to the barb 3, it will be seen that the latter will stand outward in a plane at right angles, or approximately so, tothe spoon when the eye is introduced and pressed forward between the clips. This position can be modified simly by changing the angle of the eye with reation to the plane of the barb on the opposite end of the shank. The most effective position of the barb with reference to the spoon, however, is found to be one in which it stands outward and in a plane at right angles to the face of the spoon, as shown in the drawings. The clips a b and the projections a b are readily formed integrally with the spoon by cutting and bending up small lips, ears, or semicircular portions out of the metal; but these fastenings may also be se arate pieces secured in place by soldering. n additional clip e placed on the center line just above the' clips 0 1) serves as a stop to limit the forward thrust of the eye 2 when setting the hook in position and-will have the effect to revent the eye from being forced through tiie clipsa b, but the latter will hold the hook without re uiring the additional clip e across the end.

n the modification illustrated in Fig.4 a stifi wire loop f, standing across the longitu- 0 loosely but permanently connected curely to the spoon than through the eye on t dislodged and separated from the sp cept b a longitudinal strain or ap lied to the barbed end.

all these different modesof permanently connecting the hook'to the spoon, however, the strain thr hook by the fish bait has the effect to detach the hook from the clips, and from the instant it is unfastened until it is arrested by the snell m or the long wire loop 11 or the slot and traveler 5-6 the 'ted p ay or movement of the hook is sufficient to fix the hook in the mouth of the fish whether he rejects the spoon or not. Having thus described my invention, What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

I 1. A tlO nected therewith, and

dinal center line and clear of the surface of the spoon, will act in the same manner as the cli b to receive and confine the eye 2 of the hook. This fastening when employed in place of the clip is secured by soldenng the ends of the wire f to the face of the spoon.

In one way I connect the hook to the line by a cord or snell m, having one end attached to the hook and the other to the end of the spoon, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, or as a subsnell and where it may be found desirable to attach the hook more secan be done by means of such a flexible fastening I rovide a stiff wire loop d on the spoon exten ing from the cli s that take the eye of the hook down to the ower end of the bowl and then attach the hook to this loop b a traveler d passed e shank and sliding loosely on the loop. Fi 4 illustrates this mode of connecting the hook to the spoon. The position of the hook when it is detached from the clips under the strain thrown on it by the fish is indicated by the dottedlines in in the modification illustrated in Figs. 5, 6, and 7 the traveler is composed of a stiff wire loop 5, fitted to slide loosely in along slot 6 in the spoon. The 100 5 being attached to the shank of the fish-hook b its e e 2 is revented from pulling out o the s at by a sad or button 4 on the end of the loop. This modification constitutes a simple substitute for the wire loop d, (illustrated 1n Fi 4,) and in some respects it will be found a stronger construction than the wire traveler illustrated in Fi 4.

igs. 8 and 9 illustrate a slight modification, in which the hook is tem orarily attached to the back or convex si e instead of to th?concaveside ofthespoon. In this conpulling force own u on the -spoon having fastening devices on its face ada ted to fix a fish-hook to the spoon in a position and provided with means for attaching a line, in'combination with a fish-hook havin a shank fitted to the fastening devices on th tachable therefrom under a straln, and means for connecting, the hook with the spoon whereecomes detached from the fastening devices.

3. The combination of a trolling-spoon, a hook, means for detachably on the spoon, means connecting the hook and 100 and for attaching the spoon to a line.

' In testimony my name to t of two subscribing witnesses.

SAMUEL E, KNOWLES.

struc mm the clips a, that take the eye of'the hook, are situated on the back of the spoon, Witnesses; and the hook is held in position by having its M. REGNER shank set in the slot 6, so that it cannot be EDWARD OSBORN.

oon exline through the.

-spoon, a fish-hook, a line con b the hook remains connected with the line aiter it b the spoon permanently together, and means at the moment'it ta es the e spoon and defixing the hook whereof I have hereunto set I specification in the presence 

